Shackleton. The name is spoken in hushed reverence by wild-eyed believers.
The mention of the name once caused a tough Norwegian whaler to turn and
weep. The name is synonymous with adventure and triumph, all in the face of
failure of every one of his expeditions.

When I first read about Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, I
thought "How hard could it really have been." Caroline Alexander's new book,
The Endurance‚Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition, sheds eye opening
detail on the story of one of history¼s greatest tests of survival.

The most notable detail in the book are the high quality reproductions of
the previously unpublished photos of Frank Hurley, the expedition
photographer. Haunting images of the Endurance trapped in the ice, pictures
of the men toiling under the weight of life boats being dragged across the
ice, men staring listlessly into the flames of a stove, and the joy of
realizing rescue boats are on the horizon.

The last of her breed, the Endurance was the pride of the Norwegian whaling
ships. Built to survive the harsh arctic travel. Yet it succumbed so
quickly to the overpowering Antarctic ice, stranding the men on the ice
floes of the Weddell Sea. As the floes drifted northward, the expedition
had to keep continual watch for breaking up of the ice, which was their key
to survival and the biggest fear that it would commit them to them to the
sea.

How hard was it really? Take 25 men to the Antarctic in 1914, loose your
ship in the ice floes, survive 2 Antarctic winters, sail across an 800 mile
stretch of the most treacherous, storm ridden part of the ocean in a 23 foot
boot at the beginning of winter, cross a heavily glaciated 40 mile section
of mountains that rise 9000 feet from sea level, all without the aid of
modern technical equipment and clothing, and not loose one man. In an age
when 1 out of 5 climbers on Everest die, the survival of the men of the
Endurance is nothing short of miraculous. All due in large part to the
heroic leadership of Sir Earnest Shackleton.

If you are one of the wild eyed-believers, this book is a must read. If you
don't know about Shackleton and the men of the Endurance, this is a great
introduction.